Music 326/526

Music Theory In Middle Ages

·        Theoretical treatises from Ancient and Early Christian times concentrated on the connection between math and music: from Aristotle (~500 BC) to Boethius (De institutione musica, ~500 AD), these treatises discussed the doctrine of ethos, math and ratios explaining intervals, etc. These treatises were essentially philosophical/aesthetic.

·        In Middle Ages, these issues were still addressed, but the focus shifted to practical matters: writing down music, cataloguing, codifying practices that had become standard.  These treatises contained information used by medieval musicians in performing their music.

·        Modes: by 11th century, they had the “complete” system of eight modes.  Medieval modes are determined not just by interval content (patterns of half steps and whole steps), but also by a pitch center (Final)

·        there are four finals, but for each final there are two possible ranges:  one is to begin on the final and proceed up one octave; the other would begin a P4 below final and proceed up an octave.  The former is the authentic mode, the latter is “derived” or plagal.

·        the plagal mode has same name as authentic with same final, but with prefix hypo- added

·        each mode also has a “second-most-important” note, the tenor or dominant.  In each pair of related modes, the dominant would be different

·        only one accidental allowed, B-flat: changes patterns of half or whole step

·        B natural was avoided a lot, because it often formed tritone with important notes; tritone was diabolus in musica, should be kept out of music.

·        Guido d’Arezzo (c. 991 - 1033 or later) created a simplified approach to ancient Greek music theory and wrote about other important musical issues of his day

·        derived intervals more simply (explained in Grout)

·        constructed scale without worrying about tetrachords

·        updated modes

·        one of his most important discussions was about early polyphony (organum) in his Micrologus (c. 1025)

·        Guidonian Hand: system attributed to Guido to aid teaching the singing of intervals.